WPIAL Softball Consolations: West A advances; Beaver's season ends

McCANDLESS -- Brooke Bagnell stepped into the batter’s box. She took a deep breath and focused. She then ripped the first pitch into left field to score two runs.

Even though it was Bagnell’s only hit of the game, it was a big one. The West Allegheny sophomore drove in the winning runs in the bottom of the fourth inning in Wednesday’s WPIAL Class AAA consolation game to lift the Indians over West Mifflin 5-1 and send them into the state playoffs.

“I’ve really been struggling the last couple of games,” said Bagnell. “I just kept thinking in my head, ‘You have to get this done; punch it, punch it, punch it,” and when I saw it drop I just said to myself, ‘Finally.’ ”

The Indians added two more runs in the fifth inning and were strong defensively behind Brianna Lach, who pitched a complete game, allowing four hits and recording two strikeouts.

Lach gave up one run in the top of the first on a wild pitch, but kept a clean sheet the rest of the game.

“The first inning was shaky for me,” Lach said. “But after that, I felt more comfortable because I know my team was there to back me up.”

Lach has also been playing through some pain, as well; she injured the ring finger on her throwing hand in the final regular-season game.

“It still bothers me,” said Lach. “At first, I couldn’t really pitch, but now that it’s healing better I can actually throw more.”

West Allegheny coach Mindi McFate said that feels the injury hasn’t slowed down Lach at all.

“Bre is pitching stronger than I have seen her pitch all season,” McFate said.

“In the playoffs, she’s pitched tremendously. She’s been solid, she hasn’t walked too many or given up too many base hits. It doesn’t seem to be bothering her, so we just try not to mention it and hope she can continue doing a heck of a job.”

Returning only three letterwinners, the Indians came into the WPIAL playoffs as the No. 12 seed. Since, they knocked off two higher seeds en route to the PIAA tournament, which starts next week.

“I kind of like the underdog role,” said McFate. “I think it takes a lot of pressure off the kids. They don’t know what to expect, so it kind of takes the monkey-off-your-back pressure away. It’s definitely been a surprise, but a good one.”

CLASS AA

Chartiers-Houston 2, Beaver 0 Toni Spossey of Chartiers-Houston can do it all. Spossey displayed her excellence on the field Wednesday in a victory over Beaver in the WPAL Class AA consolation game. Not only did Spossey go perfect at the plate and end up a home run shy of the cycle, she had a no-hit bid broken in the bottom of the sixth by Beaver’s Casey Farkasovsky. Piper McLaughlin broke the scoreless games for the Buccaneers in the top of the third inning with an RBI triple. Spossey followed with a double to put Chartiers-Houston. The Bobcats will return all but one senior on their roster next season, including freshman pitcher Farkasovsky.

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